Bone fractures, especially fractures of the proximal femoral shaft, have proven difficult to manipulate in preparation for internal fixation. For example, when proximal shaft fractures of the femur occur, the distal end of the proximal fragment rotates anterior (flexion) and lateral (abduction) creating difficulty in accessing the piriformis fossa and/or the desired entry point for intramedullary nailing or in performing other methods of internal fixation.
Several devices for aligning fractured bones are described in the prior art. For example, WO 02/096294 discloses a device for aligning bones. The device includes an elongated shaft which connects a handle, located at a proximal end of the device, to a bone grappling claw, located at a distal end of the device. The shaft and handle define a channel which may receive a compression rod. The claw is positioned around the bone and the rod is moved in the channel towards the claw thereby positioning the bone between the rod and the claw. The positioning of the claw around the bone may necessitate the detachment of the soft tissue surrounding the bone.
There remains a need for a device which can be used to manipulate a bone without the need to detach soft tissue surrounding the bone.